Lynnwood breaks ground on 124-unit affordable housing complex

The Housing Authority of Snohomish County broke ground Tuesday on a new affordable housing development in south Lynnwood. The project, located at 5710 200th St. SW, replaces the former Pinewood and Timberglen apartments and will contain 124 housing units. HASCO estimates the complex will be finished in 2028.

The development addresses specific housing gaps in the area. It will include 60 units designated for low-income seniors earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income. An additional 64 units will serve families with incomes ranging from 50% to 60% of the median. According to Fannie Mae data, the area median income in Snohomish County is currently $151,200.

Local and state officials attended the ceremony despite rainy weather. Gov. Bob Ferguson stated that housing was the most frequent concern he heard from residents while visiting all 39 counties in Washington. He noted that the state has a record investment in housing in the current budget. “We don’t have limitless dollars,” Ferguson said. “For me, I really was channeling what I heard back from the people that need more housing, and that’s why we had a record investment in our current budget and why we’re prioritizing these investments.”

The project total cost is $90.1 million. Funding sources include $5 million from the state’s Housing Trust Fund and $1 million from the state commerce department. Snohomish County contributed $6.1 million, and the Amazon Housing Fund provided $6.5 million. The remaining funds came from $32 million in low-income housing tax credits and $39.5 million through a bond issuance.

Lynnwood Mayor George Hurst noted that about 15% of residents in the city live in poverty. In South Lynnwood, approximately one-third of renters are severely cost-burdened, meaning they spend at least 50% of their income on rent. Hurst said the project aligns with the city’s South Lynnwood Neighborhood Plan, which aims to preserve housing for households earning less than 80% of the median income.

The complex is named after Bob Davis, the former HASCO executive director who served from 1994 to 2016. Davis was known for wearing bow ties and was credited by HASCO board member Joe Alonzo as an innovator in affordable housing. Davis said the name reflects the complexity of housing development. “They are complicated. The way you tie them is not natural. But once you figure them out, and you do it again and again, you get a good result,” he said.

The completed building will feature onsite management, a community room, a game room, bike storage, air conditioning, and electric vehicle parking.